What was lost, now is found
by JNGT
Summary: What if River wasn't alone during her time in the Academy? What would happen if that person held the key to River becoming whole? Warning femslash.
1. Chapter 1

River woke up screaming, as she often did; memories flooded back to her…

"we have to get out we have to" River couldn't stop ranting she knew her words made no sense and yet she couldn't stop. She longed for her freedom, but at what cost? "leave River you shouldn't be here, remember what they did to you the last time they caught you here" River shivered, despite the warm air she remembered how could she possibly forget…

"River River wake up its okay, have your medicine" "No" yelled River she knew the danger of taking drugs from doctors. "There were so many layers but the princess still felt the pea, why?" Simon shook his head and a sadness filled his heart he wished for his sister to be healthy and sane but at least he had saved her from the academy. "miss me I can feel the loneliness what happens when… forgetting is dangerous leads to bad" Simon smiled his heart in his eyes as he softly replied "don't worry River I won't leave you again you can trust me". She didn't the voice in her head whispered he took you away keeps you secret, hidden. It's for my own good the other voice replied I'm not stable not safe, not safe for everyone else.

Mal stomped into the infirmary "how is she today doctor" "same as yesterday" Simon replied sighing as he realized his lack of progress. "I don't know what to do, there's no medicine that her body doesn't break down, no drug that really suppresses whatever it is she hears" "I'm sorry doc, it must be hard, but I need you to treat my crew while you try to figure out your crazy sister" "of course I didn't forget out deal" "good" with that Mal strode out of the room inwardly sighing their morning rituals never went as he wanted, they always ended with him sounding like a soulless moron.

"Nothing will work the same when half is missing half is lost" River sometimes questioned her brother, it was so simple but she couldn't express her opinion not with the voices in control. Simon walked over to River, a syringe in hand. "Time to sleep River we will be on Aerial soon". River was overtaken by fear "no no no no not unconscious changes changing things change when you don't focus, pay attention" "I know River it's going to be okay". He injected the needle praying for the day to come when his sister could sleep by her own free will. He slammed his hand against the desk, sending random tools flying everywhere. What had they done to River? What kind of human being could do that to an innocent little girl? She was his little sister, he was supposed to protect her, and he had failed. He couldn't even manage to put the broken pieces back together goramit!

River felt her subconscious slowly take over as the syringe emptied its content into her neck. She remembered her promise, as she always did every time she was forced to rest, "don't forget me because I won't forget you" "never" River had replied and yet during the day her mind was fogged in, something blocking the sane part of her mind, she forgot and every single time when she remembered her heart would break and she was filled with guilt. Not fair why me? I shouldn't have left no one could survive the academy alone and because of that River knew deep done that the one she had left behind had left this world behind. But her mind argued that she would have felt it but how she barely felt anything anymore, no she felt everything so it numbed her senses until she couldn't speak, couldn't think, and could only listen.


	2. Chapter 2

The plan has to work, Simon thought, it was simple really Mal got his loot and he got his sister into the hospital to run some tests, test that desperately needed to be run. It could work, it had to work.

River woke in an unfamiliar place, it looked like a hospital but how did she get here? Her mind remembered Simon speaking and then darkness. "River" Simon's voice cut through her trail of thought. She looked at him questioningly. "Lie back I need to run some test but don't be afraid" lights started going off on top of River but she tried to ignore the oncoming fear and instinct to break free. She held herself still escaping into her mind the place she went to ignore the harshness of the world. There was her old room filled with music, she started to dance…

"RIVER"

"what" river felt annoyed her favourite part of her happy place was left before she could revisit it.

"We have to go to the roof to be picked up"

"two by two hands of blue"

"not now River we have to go".

They made it to the roof and quickly saw the rest of the crew waiting impatiently outside of the hospital transportation craft. They ran to the others, smiling at having completed a job well done.

"stop" a voice interrupted their departure.

"you have something that doesn't belong to you return it and you may be on your way"

"it's impossible" River whispered, she knew that voice, could recognize it anywhere but it was impossible.

"please hand over River Tam and we will leave you to your escape" the strange voice said.

"No" Simon shouted "you won't take her not again"

"Take her no no silly boy you're the one who stole her from me in the first place".

"What are you talking about?" Simon asked confusion written all over his face. River stepped forward the voices had gone quite, she final had a moments reprieve.

"There is no need to do this return to where you came from, you don't need to hurt these people." The whole crew stared at River is shook, River crazy River was talking in full sentences and trying to protect them! Something weird was definitely going on.

River slowly stepped closer to the mysterious figure. "you don't want to hurt me do you?" she questioned, trying to lock eyes with the stranger, but the helmet they wore was making it difficult.

"I have been ordered to retrieve River Tam and eliminate any obstacles in my way. The survival of Simon Tam is no longer required" the voice stated, sounding as if it was a machine recording

"NO" River yelled "you're not going to hurt my brother"

"come with me and no one will be harmed"

"you think me abandoning him would be harmless? Do you know what that would do to the both of us?"

The figure stilled, appearing as if the they had stopped moving, breathing and talking all at once.

"you dare"

River flinched "I'm so sorry" she cried stepping forward to touch the black helmet

"I was delusional I didn't know what was going on you can't blame me for that"

"he asked if you were leaving anyone behind. You had a few moments and you . there. "

"no" River cried "you couldn't have heard that"

"I hear everything"

Mal had had enough. He crept around the figure avidly conversing with River. Whatever was going on between the two of them would have to wait. He needed to rescue his crew before this situation turned ugly. Mal drew his gun and aimed it at the person talking to River,

"Alright that's enough…" before he even finished his sentence he was being thrown through the air before slamming into the transport carrier. He slowly shook himself out of the shock and looked to River. She was standing in front of Mal protecting him from the alliance operative.

"he didn't mean anything by it he is no threat to you"

"I know he is no threat but he tried to attack and must learn his place"

"please don't do this" River said stepping forward and placing her hand on the mysterious persons chest halting the forward progress. They jumped back as if stung

"don't ever touch me again, are we clear?" River stared at her hand.

"I knew it was you" she said with a smile. "come on take off your helmet"

The doors to the roof opened and a dozen troops filed in. "Sir Do you require assistance?" the leader asked.

"no leave"

"I'm afraid we cannot do that sir" with that the troops stepped forward with their weapons drawn. "arrest them all" the leader ordered. The figure made no move to stop them only remained rooted to the spot as Mal and his crew were handcuffed. They were handcuffed lined against the hull of the ship watching as the troops approached River and grabbed her hands and yanked them behind her back. River flinched in pain and time seemed to stop. River saw moment and the two men were thrown off of her. River saw her rescuer turn and kick the others, whipping off the helmet and throwing it at one of the soldiers trying to load his weapon. Twelve shots were fired from the alliance operative's gun. Utter silence following the ringing of the shots as twelve bodies slumped to the ground, all of them dead.

"holy shit Mal that's a girl!" Jane yelped in surprise. The mysterious figure stood, tossing her flowing brown hair back, glancing at Jane before moving towards River.

"are you alright?" she asked, tentatively hovering over River.

River looked up, a smile breaking out across her face, she leaned up to touch her face, "I missed you" she whispered. "Don't ever leave me alone again"

"I won't" was the quiet reply she received, as the two of them stood on the roof, surrounded by bodies, completely oblivious to anything else except each other.


End file.
